SD Legislature: What To Know This Week

pierre, sd

The House Education Committee is weighing a bill that would allow individual school boards to designate teachers, administrators or others to be armed with guns in hopes of protecting against an attack such as the Dec. 14 elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and six adults dead.

The committee is to discuss the proposal at a Wednesday hearing.

Any school board starting what is called a school sentinel program would first have to consult with local law enforcement agencies. In addition, the bill says that a school board could not make a school employee carry a gun unless that employee consents.

The Legislature is expected eventually to consider another measure that seeks to prevent people found to be mentally ill and dangerous from carrying guns.